How to Buy a Tent

A tent is probably the most essential part of camping.  It's your home away from home, your "shelter from the storm" so to speak.  Buying a tent is the most important purchase you will make when you decide to go camping.  So how do you buy a tent?  What should go into making that decision?

To buy a tent you will want to start by figuring out how large a tent you will need. You will want to count how many people will be in the tent and then add one.  For example; if you have a family of four you will want to buy a tent that sleeps 5 or more.

Why should you do this? Tent manufacturers base the recommended number of people per tent on laying vertical without much thought to the space around that person.  They don't really take into consideration time spent in the tent if it rains or if other activities are going on inside the tent.  So if you want some room to move around, look at the next size up when buying a tent.

Another consideration when buying a tent is ventilation. Make sure your tent has enough vented areas that will allow a cross-breeze.  Window flaps that roll up are helpful too. You will find this invaluable if you are camping in the south especially.

All tents now are manufactured with built-in waterproofing but it's always a good idea to check before you buy a tent.  You will want to make sure there are at least six inches of flooring that goes up the side of the tent to keep the water out.  As with waterproofing, this is a pretty standard item in tent manufacturing.

You will want to make sure your tent has a ground cover.  This adds extra protection to your tent bottom as well as prevents the moisture from the ground from causing condensation on the bottom of your tent.  If your tent doesn't come with a ground cover, a regular tarp will work well.

So now you know how to buy a tent.  Some of the places you can go to buy a tent include department stores, sporting good stores, army surplus stores and discount stores.  And don't forget yard sales - you never know what you might find, but be careful to check for wear. Rental companies are a good option if you are not sure whether camping is something you will want to do.